The Work

Opus Dei (God’s Work) is a personal prelature of the Catholic Church that was founded in 1928 in Spain by JoseMaría Escrivá. Although Escriva was forced into hiding in 1936 during the Spanish Civil war, “la Obra” grew quickly under Franco and now about 70% of its members are located in Europe and there are 33,000 in Spain alone. So, it is no wonder that I would encounter it while here. I wasn’t too surprised when the man sitting next to me on the plane told me he was a member on his way from LA to Barcelona for a week long theological conference. Even though as the first supernumerary I’ve ever met, I was dying to ask him if he was wearing a cilice like in the DaVinci code. However, I never considered that I’d join until Tuesdei morning, while the Norwegians were still here.

My Senora and her sister were out grocery shopping and Yens was left behind to set me up with breakfast. It started off as a typical breakfast as Yens handed me:

Cereal

Milk

Hot coco mix

Strawberry Marmalade

Toast

Grapes

Pineapple-Grape-Milk Juice

Swedish cheese

Norwegian cheese from goats

Norwegian cheese from cows

And a tube of CAVIAR

As he squeezed some caviar out for me to try, I felt foreign ideas being imposed on me already.

The preaching really began when I open the microwave door to heat my hot chocolate. Yens abruptly ends his speech on the wonder of Norwegian cheese, and asks “Are you sure you want to do that? I had no clue what he was talking about and put my cup down in the microwave. This set off a long analysis of the horrors of microwave ovens for which they are banned in Norwegian hospitals. I wait. He concludes, “but go ahead, do what you want.” With Yens’ permission to risk my life, I close the door of the death oven. Before I can hit start he interrupts, “I never use it myself; I don’t even have one” I take the cup out. Yens: “but make your own decisions”. I decide to continue slowly poisoning myself with microwave food like I always have and put the cup back in. Yens will not give up: “you can tell Americans this type of thing and they will tell you it’s a lie.” I surrender and heat the milk on the stove.

Yens headed for the door. Just when a peaceful breakfast was in sight he turns back. He had forgotten to sway me from my faulty opinion of the Norwegian wars! After I promised to read three books in order to develop a well rounded knowledge of the role of the Norwegians in the war, he left the kitchen.

It still wasn’t over. He pops his head back in. “Are you catholic?” He seemed satisfied with my answer and told me that my senora is too. He left and I was glad to have answered correctly. But a second later he was back and asking “Have you ever heard of Opus Dei?” He explained that my senora is part of it. He thinks that she is too religious and thought that I should know. He swore me to secrecy on the subject and left. And then he came back. (Just kidding)

I should’ve guessed she was Opus Dei sooner, since there are about 10 bibles in the house and at least 5 religious paintings per room. Since then I have also picked up on several clues related to Josemaria Escrivá, such as, two copies of “Surco”, a pamphlet with his picture on the front, and her persistent praise of Pope John Paul II, who canonized Escrivá in 2002.

I’ve also learned more about the doctrine of Opus Dei. Opus Dei emphasizes the universal call to holiness and ordinary work as a path to achieve it. The teachings includes some daily or weekly norms such as: saying “serviam!” in the morning, reading the new testament five minutes, three Hail Mary’s, ten minutes of spiritual readings, taking psalm 2 as the basis of mental prayer on Tuesdays, and last but not least, corporal mortification. It all seems very nice so, I have joined. On Wednesday night I stayed in and to watch a four hour long movie about the life of Pope John Paul II. Kristin is also easing me into the practice of corporal mortification by providing me with a pillow that is as hard as a rock. Who would’ve thought that I would become a caviar fanatic, an anti-microwave activist, an objective savant of the Norwegian wars, and Opus Dei all in one day!